Acknowledging and Transforming Boredom with Mindfulness (2018)

March-December 2018 

In this talk, Dharma Teacher Fred Eppsteiner explains the importance of acknowledging and addressing the subtle suffering of boredom. He explains that many of us do not even realize that we suffer with boredom because mental stimulation is so readily available through digital and other media that we never have to stop and just be with ourselves. However, Fred suggests that stopping and allowing ourselves to feel this boredom is essential if we truly want to live a mindful life of intention. He explains that although we do not always realize it, much of our life is driven by an attempt to avoid discomfort. However, if we learn to stop and look deeply into this discomfort, we will see that there is richness underneath. If we do not stop and allow ourselves to be present to what it feels like to be bored, we will continue to live an unconscious life driven by avoidance and never taste the true well-being that comes from simply being alive.